The Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said that ‘in a matter of hours’, President Buhari will sign the Electoral Act (amendment) Bill.
Recall that there has been apprehension over when the President will sign the Bill into law so that INEC can begin adequate plans for the 2023 elections.
The President had withheld his assent to the Bill in November 2021, citing the cost of conducting direct primary elections, security challenges and possible manipulation of electoral processes by political players as part of the reasons for his decision.
He, however, gave some conditions to give his assent, prompting the lawmakers to re-work the bill which initially led to the emergence of two versions from the green and red chambers of the National Assembly.
While the House re-amended the bill to include the direct and indirect primary options, the Senate re-adjusted to include the direct, indirect, and consensus modes of selecting political parties’ candidates. Both chambers, thereafter, passed the harmonised version – the final agreed version of the amendment to Clause 84 of the Bill. This included the direct, indirect, and consensus primary modes of nominating candidates by political parties for elections.
The Bill was transmitted to the President on January 25 and according to the law, it must be signed within 30 days.
As February gradually comes to an end, there are fears as to when the President will sign the Bill into law so that INEC can begin preparations for the 2023 elections.
Speaking while appearing as a guest on a television
programme this morning, Adesina said, “He (Buhari) will sign it (the Bill) any moment from now. It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be anytime; but within the 30 days.
“It could be signed today; it could be signed tomorrow. In a matter of hours, not days. Hours could be 24 hours; it could be 48 hours, not days, not weeks”, he stated.
